Durations of the Sections of Sequentia cyclia sopra “Dies irae” ex Missa pro defunctis
This page provides a table showing the durations of the individual sections, together with the percentage, that make up Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji's massive Sequentia cyclica super “Dies irae” ex Missa pro defunctis (1948-49; 335 pp.) in Jonathan Powell’s recording on Piano Classics PCL10206 (7 CDs, with a 32-page introduction by Powell) released in 2020. The five fugues are given their own rows, as they are comparable in duration to the other sections of the work. Some statistics follow.
- Shortest of the 25 variations apart from the Passacaglia (no. 25): 2:15
- Longest of the 25 variations apart from the Passacaglia (no. 4): 1:04:45
- Passacaglia: 1:37:28
- Longest fugue (Fuga quinta): 41:04
- Average duration for vars. 1-21 and 23-26 (i.e., without the Passacaglia): 12:51
- Average duration of the variations in the Passacaglia: 3:11 (with the theme), 3:13 (without the theme)
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| Section | Tempo/Title | Duration | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section | Tempo/Title | Duration | Percentage |
| Theme | Largo. Legatissimo sempre e nello stile medioevale detto “organum” | 4:29 | 0.89% |
| 1 | Vivace (spiccato assai) | 7:59 | 1.59% |
| 2 | Moderato | 8:01 | 1.59% |
| 3 | Legato soave e liscio | 8:30 | 1.69% |
| 4 | Tranquillo e piano | 64:45 | 12.87% |
| 5 | Ardito, focosamente | 8:23 | 1.67% |
| 6 | Vivace e leggiero | 3:30 | 0.70% |
| 7 | — | 2:27 | 0.49% |
| 8 | Tempo di Valzer con molta fantasia, disinvoltura e eleganza | 20:54 | 4.15% |
| 9 | Capriccioso | 11:27 | 2.28% |
| 10 | Il tutto in una sonorità piena, dolce, morbida, calda e voluttuosa. Cantato dolcemente | 33:13 | 6.60% |
| 11 | Vivace e secco | 2:19 | 0.46% |
| 12 | Leggiero a capriccio | 7:16 | 1.44% |
| 13 | Aria. Con fantasia e dolcezza | 22:16 | 4.43% |
| 14 | Punta d’organo | 26:48 | 5.33% |
| 15 | Ispanica. Con brio, leggiero, impertinente | 13:08 | 2.61% |
| 16 | Marcia funebre | 4:34 | 0.91% |
| 17 | Soave e dolce | 3:24 | 0.68% |
| 18 | Duro, irato, energico | 10:27 | 2.08% |
| 19 | Quasi Debussy. Dolcemente cantato | 7:28 | 1.48% |
| 20 | Spiccato, leggiero | 3:43 | 0.74% |
| 21 | Legatissimo, dolce e soave | 8:49 | 1.75% |
| 22 | Passacaglia | 97:28 | 19.38% |
| 23 | Con brio | 12:21 | 2.46% |
| 24 | Oscuro, sordo | 10:47 | 2.14% |
| 25 | Sotto voce, scorrevole, fuggitivo | 2:16 | 0.45% |
| 26 | Largamente pomposo e maestoso | 16:24 | 3.26% |
| 27.1 | Fuga I (Fuga quintuplice a due, tre, quattro e sei voci ed a cinque soggetti) | 13:43 | 2.73% |
| 27.2 | Fuga II | 6:24 | 1.27% |
| 27.3 | Fuga III | 9:53 | 1.96% |
| 27.4 | Fuga IV | 8:53 | 1.77% |
| 27.5 | Fuga V | 41:04 | 8.16% |
| Total | 08:23:03 | 100.00% |
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© Marc-André Roberge 2024
Faculté de musique, Université Laval, Québec
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